You can directly help young people be prepared for adulthood. Simply by donating you can make a difference by providing hope and opportunity to young people.
The young people are emotionally, spiritually and socially traumatized having had years of institutional care and/or abuse at home. Based in the western city of Mukachevo, western Ukraine, New Beginnings has transformed the lives of many young people leaving institutional care, strengthening self-image and encouraging social integration.
Only 10% of orphans leaving institutions enter society in a fulfilling and developing way (Source: the representative for children’s right by the President of Ukraine). All the New Beginning “graduates” have gone on to lead fully independent lives including employment, accommodation, even starting their own families.
The New Beginning programme has two key streams:
1) Family Foster Home
The family foster home which ChildAid had built and opened in 2011 thanks to the donation of land by the local authority. The authority also cover a substantial portion of the costs of running the home. However, this will not include such expenses as healthcare or repair/replacement of physical items in the house.
The home has up to 10 young orphans, plus a more recently constructed extension is home for up to 6 older orphans who are transitioning into their independent life. These young people benefit not only from the independent living programme below, but also have as their foster parents ChildAid’s project partner leaders.
Your financial support will ensure that these young orphans will receive the full love and care that every child deserves.
2) Technical School Independent Living Programme
This programme is fully funded by ChildAid.
Teenage orphans live a safe and secure separated dormitory within the local state Technical Schools. Our 3 social workers have a rota to live with the young people offering them educational, emotional and spiritual support. These teenagers enter a 2-3 year life-changing programme which involves:
- structured courses for independent living including areas such as health and hygiene, time and money, risk of substance abuse
- formal and informal education to boost the literacy and numeracy for young people who have only the very basics otherwise
- planning for independent living including further education, accommodation, employment, leisure and cultural interests, relationships and community engagement
- introduction to church and the salvation offered by Jesus - but, this is their choice and is in no way forced upon them
The consequences are that they are prevented from encountering the problems so often confronted on leaving care; they are equipped to be responsible, confident and active members of society; assisted in securing a quality education and job-related skills; and above all, they are encouraged (but not forced) to give back to others in need and to become secure in the love of Christ.
This work is long term and progressive. More young people will always want to join the programme and the authorities are eager to send young people to us as they know how effective the programme is.
Making a new beginning without a family to provide support and guidance can be difficult for a young person.
Thanks to your kind donations we are able to help young people have a future.
Alisa’s parents died of poverty and alcohol abuse. Aged 6 she was sent to an orphanage but soon after joined the New Beginning programme. After 6 months she was diagnosed with hepatitis B and liver damage. ChildAid paid for her expensive medical treatment, and as she needed a strict diet and constant care, so came to live in our foster home. Later she had a series of 6 strokes, but after 8 months she made a full recovery thanks to the love and care of our partners.
She graduated from university as a nursery teacher and speech therapist and is now married with her own baby.
Her life could have been so different if not for the love and support New Beginning gave her.
